Seraphina’s POV
My entire body trembled as chaos consud my thoughts. Nothing made sense anymore.
"Theo, sweetie, why don’t you go outside and play on the swings?" I suggested, smoothing down his tousled brown hair with unsteady fingers.
His face lit up instantly as he headed toward the door, but then he stopped mid-step, his small brow creasing with worry. "Mommy, can I play with Elena today? She has this aweso blue truck that’s really big."
Elena’s na hit like a punch to the stomach. The little girl was innocent and sweet, absolutely precious. But she belonged to Roxanne’s world. And trust had beco a luxury I couldn’t afford.
"Not today, baby," I managed, forcing my voice to sound normal.
His bottom lip jutted out in disappointnt. "But why? Elena shared her red crayon with yesterday. She’s super nice."
I dropped to his level, looking directly into his earnest eyes. "I know she’s wonderful, Theo, but today you need to play with the other kids, okay? Stay near the playground equipnt."
"But I don’t understand why I can’t see Elena," he pressed.
A quiet sigh escaped . "Because Mommy needs you to listen right now, sweetheart. Sotis mommies have to make decisions that don’t make sense yet. Go play now."
That satisfied him completely. He was such a trusting child, never questioning my judgnt. He planted a wet kiss on my cheek before bouncing toward the door with renewed energy.
I watched him disappear outside, my stomach churning with anxiety. Keeping him away from Elena felt wrong when it was based purely on my suspicions about her mother. But I had much larger concerns demanding my attention.
The door clicked shut, leaving in suffocating silence. I stood alone with the most devastating question of my life.
Had I delivered twins?
The notion seed absolutely insane. Completely impossible. Yet Dorian’s docunts appeared authentic, and despite my hatred for him, he had never once deceived before.
I kept telling myself Dorian couldn’t be trusted, but his claims had definitely gotten under my skin. I needed verification from soone who had actually witnessed that day, soone with no motivation to deceive .
I grabbed my phone and called Ma and Pa. They were my only sources of truth from that mont.
The phone barely rang before they answered, the sound of crashing surf filling the background.
"Seraphina! Sweetheart, what a lovely surprise to hear your voice!" Ma’s tone was bright and joyful.
"We’re having an incredible ti! Thank you so much for pushing us to take this vacation," Pa chid in enthusiastically. "You made this dream possible for us."
A real smile crossed my face despite everything. "You both earned it completely. I can hear those waves in the background, and I know you’re probably relaxing, but I need to ask you sothing really important."
Their laughter carried the sound of pure contentnt. "Don’t be silly, dear. We’re never too occupied for you. You’re our family."
"Do you rember when I gave birth? The day Theo ca into the world?"
A brief pause settled over the line.
"Rember it? Seraphina, that was the most joyful day of our entire lives except for our wedding day," Mr. Jenkins responded, his voice becoming serious. "Our grandson was born. We could never forget a single detail."
"Perfect," I whispered. "Did you observe anything unusual that day?"
I heard Mrs. Jenkins adjusting the phone. "Unusual? I’m not certain what you an, sweetheart."
"Everything seed fairly routine, didn’t it?" Mr. Jenkins reflected. "Though Theo was removed almost imdiately afterward. They claid he was fragile and required observation. He went straight to the Monitoring Ward, not even the regular nursery, and we couldn’t hold him for several hours afterward. That was difficult." I knew this part already, but I needed more information.
I pressed carefully. "The dical staff. The physicians. That mont when they removed him. Think carefully. Please."
Ma’s voice returned, suddenly quieter, as if she was reaching back through ti.
"Actually, now that you bring it up, Seraphina, I did find sothing odd," she rembered. "They wheeled Theo out in that tiny enclosed crib very rapidly, right? But just after the primary doctor departed, another nurse, an extrely tall woman, ca rushing in. She brought another small, empty gurney covered with a sheet, and she seed incredibly anxious."
"Exactly!" Mr. Jenkins interrupted, sounding suddenly disturbed. "She barely acknowledged our presence. She just moved around your room quickly and then wheeled that second gurney out through the side exit, not the main hallway. And she moved so urgently, like she was concealing sothing."
"There was such commotion everywhere," Mrs. Jenkins continued. "We assud perhaps they were delivering fresh linens or dical supplies. But why require a separate gurney, and why the side exit?"
Ice-cold terror flooded through , freezing completely. Two gurneys. Two bundles. Urgency, a hidden side exit.
Why would they require two gurneys for a single baby?
I squeezed my eyes shut, resisting the crushing realization that was forming. The hospital had reported my baby was weak. But what if one infant had been weak, and the other had been stolen?
"Seraphina? Are you there, darling? What’s happening?" Mrs. Jenkins asked, alarm creeping into her voice.
I swallowed painfully, trying to maintain composure while my hands shook violently.
"Nothing’s wrong right now, Ma and Pa. I just need to work through sothing myself first. I promise I’ll explain everything."
"You contact us imdiately if anything’s troubling you. We love you deeply, sweet girl."
"I love you both too. Enjoy that beautiful beach, okay?"
I ended the call, letting the phone fall onto the couch cushions.
My knees felt unstable. I required official docuntation, not just Dorian’s files, but records straight from the dical facility.
I dialed the hospital, my heart hamring frantically against my chest.
After waiting over thirty minutes to verify my identity and file number, they finally agreed to email the records.
When the email arrived, the filena seed to mock from my screen.
I opened the attachnt with trembling hands, nearly dropping my phone.
I scrolled through dates, dication lists, and physician notes. Everything aligned with my mories - birth ti, weight, attending doctor’s na.
Then I found the section marked Fetal Count and Outco.
My breath caught painfully, a strangled sob escaping.
The records matched Dorian’s docunts exactly.
Fetus One: Male. Healthy. Outco: Discharged to Mother.
Fetus Two: Female. Outco: Transferred to Specialized Care Unit, Date Redacted.
The sa file. I had delivered both a son and a daughter.
I collapsed against the cold wall of our spacious living room that suddenly felt claustrophobic, the floor shifting beneath my unsteady feet.
I didn’t just have Theo. I had a daughter.
And she existed sowhere in this world while I remained completely ignorant of her.
How was this possible? How could I have carried twins for months, endured childbirth, and never known about her existence? The guilt consud .
Where was my daughter now? Was soone feeding her? Was she warm and comfortable? Was she healthy? Dorian claid he had her, but he was manipulative with his own agenda. Was she suffering? Was she protected?
This was entirely my responsibility. If I hadn’t fled the Fang, if I had delivered here, none of this would have occurred. My desperate need for freedom had cost my own child.
A fierce, protective, terrifying maternal instinct exploded within . I had only learned of her existence hours ago, but already I felt connected to this child I had never t. I would destroy everything to ensure her safety.
But how could I rescue her?
I faced two options, both extrely dangerous.
If I told Julian, Dorian would beco enraged. He would certainly follow through on his threats.
But if I kept this from Julian, I would be hiding a massive, life-changing secret from my mate, creating a betrayal I might never overco. Especially since this was his daughter too.
Our daughter’s safety was paramount. That was all that mattered now. I had to protect her, keep her from danger, and bring her ho.
Reviews
All reviews (0)